Aromatic poly(ether sulfones) are thermally stable, amorphous engineering resins with attractive properties for electronics and other applications. See C. P. Smith, Chemtech, 290-291 (1988). There resins may be prepared by nucleophilic displacement polymerization of bis-phenols with 4,4'-dihaloaromatic sulfones, where the electronegative sulfone group activates the halides to nucleophilic displacement. Other polymers are also prepared by aromatic nucleophilic substitution with activation provided by a ketone function. A literature review on the synthesis of aromatic polyethers by nucleophilic displacement polymerization, the mechanism of activation of such reactions by various groups, and the properties of polyethers is provided in Maiti, S. and Mandall, B. K., "Aromatic Polyethers by Nucelophilic Displacement Polymerization", Prog. Polym. Sci., Vol. 12, pp. 111-153 (1986).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,748 of King issued Mar. 2, 1976, discloses a process for the preparation of an aromatic polymer of recurring units --ArQ--by heating a reaction mixture of an alkali metal fluoride and (a) a halophenol of formula XArQH and/or (b) a mixture of a dihalobenzenoid compound of formula XArX and a dihydric phenol of formula HQArQH in which Ar is a bivalent aromatic residue, Q is an oxygen or sulfur atom, and X is a halogen atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,798 of Staniland issued May 25, 1982 teaches production of aromatic
Polyethers by reacting (a) a mixture of a bisphenol and a dihalobenzenoid compound or (b) a halophenol, in which dihalobenzenoid compound or halophenol halogen atoms are activated by ortho or para --SO.sub.2 --or --CO--groups, with an alkali metal carbonate in the presence of an infusible particulate support substance.
European Patent Application 243,833 discloses a copolycondensate moulding composition containing polyarylene sulfone and polyarylene ether sulfone units prepared by polycondensation of a bisphenol mixture of bisphenol A; 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone; and other bisphenol and a mixture of 4,4'-bis-halophenyl sulfone and a 4,4'-dihalo-bis-, 4,4"-tris- or 4,4"'-tetrakis-phenyl compound.
Japanese Patent Application J6 2199-622 discloses hydrophilic aromatic sulfone resins prepared by reacting aromatic polysulfone polymers having terminal active releasing groups and hydrophilic compounds having active hydroxy groups to yield ether bonds between the terminal groups of the aromatic polysulfone polymers and the hydrophilic compounds.
Japanese Patent Application J5 5165-920 teaches the production of a linear chlorine-containing polyethersulfone polymer by adding an aromatic tri-or tetrahalide of formula (II): ##STR1## wherein: X and Y are each H or Cl provided one is Cl, to a mixture of an inert highly polar solvent and a dialkali metal salt of formula (I): ##STR2## wherein: Q is a bond, O, S, aliphalic or alicyclic hydrocarbyl and m is 0 or 1.
A discussion of physical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of various commercial polysulfones is provided in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, 2nd Ed., Mark et al., Eds., Vol. 13, pp. 196-211, Wiley (1988). Prior art polymers are typically amber or yellow in color. For practical applications in electronics, properties such as high resistivity, high breakdown voltage, and low dielectric constant are important. See Lai et al., Solid State Technology, pp. 165-170 (Nov. 1984). A low dielectric constant is particularly desirable in high-speed electrical connections. For practical applications in gas separation techniques, high permeability combined with selectivity is desirable. Thus, there is a need for polysulfones of lower dielectric constant or of high selective permeability. Also, colorless polymers of optical clarity could have many potential applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aromatic fluorine-containing poly(ether sulfones) having a low dielectric constant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such polymers from which films can be made which are optically clear and colorless.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such polymers which have good selectivity and permeability to gases.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide aromatic fluorine-containing sulfone monomers used in the preparation of such polymers.